At 8 weeks of pregnancy, Kevin & I decided to tell our families. Even though it had been only 2 weeks since we had found out, it seemed like it had been forever and that, coupled with how extremely sick I was, made it hard to keep a secret. After telling our parents, I FaceTimed my oldest sister, Carla. It took forever for her to answer, but finally she picked up. We chit-chatted for a bit, then I tried talking with Finley, my niece. She wasn’t very interested in chatting and was all over the place playing, but I finally got her attention and said, “Finley, guess what? You’re going to have a new cousin!”

Carla turned the iPhone camera back to her practically shouting, “Nuh-uh! I knew it!! I knew it!!” I asked, “How did you know?” Her response was not what I expected at all: “Well, I’m pregnant too!” To which both of us commenced with lots of screeching and excitement.

When I had to my mom earlier that day, she had said that she wouldn’t (read: couldn’t keep a secret) talk to either of my sisters until I told them. As I was trying to FaceTime Carla and she wouldn’t pick up, she had been trying to FaceTime Mom (to announce her own pregnancy, still completely unaware of mine) who also wouldn’t pick up because she was waiting to hear from me that I had told Carla. Finally, when Carla realized Mom wasn’t going to answer, she took my call. It remains one of the funniest and memorable evenings as we were both announcing our pregnancies. (Imagine my mom’s shock when Carla finally did get ahold of her!)

When Carla first found out she was pregnant, she thought, “Wouldn’t that be crazy if Emily and I were both pregnant at the same time?” And without talking about it previously and certainly without planning it, we are both due within 3 weeks of each other…AND both are having boys! Sharing the experience with her has been so much fun and she has certainly given me lots of advice already as well as much commiseration as we’ve both dealt with sickness. (Also, talking me off the ledge when I flip out over the tiniest things in my pregnancy-induced crazy.)

Mothering boys together will be great as we are both entering uncharted territory and are certain to have lots of stories (both funny and non) and tips-from-the-trenches. I’m hoping our little boys will be fast friends throughout life, even through distance, just like their moms are. We’ve had many Sisterhood adventures together already, but I think this journey is going to be one of our best ones yet.

Carla (15 weeks) & I (18 weeks) when she was in Iowa in June